Sullivan Co-op to cut staff hours

LIBERTY — Cornell Cooperative Extension has announced it will begin furloughing employees after Sullivan County legislators last week confirmed a $83,000 cut from the agency's contract.

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By Victor Whitman

recordonline.com

By Victor Whitman

Posted Mar. 29, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Victor Whitman
Posted Mar. 29, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

LIBERTY — Cornell Cooperative Extension has announced it will begin furloughing employees after Sullivan County legislators last week confirmed a $83,000 cut from the agency's contract.

Staff will take one day a week off without pay beginning in mid-April, said the agency's executive director, Greg Sandor. All agency programs and activities at the Gerald J. Skoda Extension Education Center in Liberty also will be suspended one day each week beginning in mid-April.

The agency's board Tuesday approved the new policy instead of layoffs. The board will review the decision in 30 days and make cuts to programs, if warranted. Sandor said the furloughs will be implemented on a Monday or a Friday so employees have a better chance of finding a part-time job. Some 14 of the 17 staff members are affected by the reductions, including Sandor's position.

Sandor said the cuts will affect the entire spectrum of Cornell's programming, including the 4-H youth, agricultural science and nutrition programs.

"It is frustrating," Sandor said. "We see ourselves as an economic engine."

Sandor, who has been on the job for just a month, said he wanted 30 days to review the specific programs to determine if any will be cut. He thus recommended reducing staff hours nearly across the board. Sandor also said by cutting staff one day per week, the employees will be able to keep their jobs and retain Cornell University's benefit package.

"It isn't an easy thing to do," Sandor said. "They don't get paid a lot and they work their butts off. It is a tough cut."

Sullivan County legislators slashed Cornell's contracts by 20 percent with most of its outside agencies on the day it adopted the 2013 county budget, in order to reduce the tax levy increase. Cornell was the only agency to appeal the reduction. A majority of legislators declined to reinstate the money. Orange and Ulster counties maintained the same funding levels for their Cooperative Extensions this year, officials said. Sullivan's Cooperative Extension is now asking its farming families and other clients to kick in donations.

"If one thousand people donate a hundred dollars each, it will keep staff on full time and our doors open five days a week for the rest of the year, giving us time to seek additional resources," Sandor said.